Embodiments of the invention relate to adaptive cruise control (ACC). More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to removing a braking request when a target vehicle being tracked by the ACC turns off of the road.
As is known, many ACC systems track a target vehicle located in front of the ACC-equipped vehicle. The tracking is discontinued when certain conditions occur. Discontinuing tracking of the target vehicle is sometimes referred to as “releasing” or “letting go of” the target vehicle. Many ACC systems brake too long when target object has turned off onto a side road. Such a turn by the target object is often preceded by a braking event, such that the ACC vehicle is in the process of braking when this turn-off occurs. This is commonly referred to as a “McDonalds turn.”
The problem is caused because the ACC “lets go of” or releases the target object too late, and braking is ramped down too slowly. The release of the target object late is tuned so that a course-prediction decision on whether to follow the object, or to continue to drive straight-ahead is postponed. The slow brake ramp-out is used to prevent making an incorrect course prediction decision and for overcoming incorrect measurements by an ACC sensor (e.g., radar, video, or LIDAR sensors).